Irish Triple Fish Catch Since 1964

publication of this data in annual tideprediction tables; 3) Investigate fluctu­ations of sea level and crustal move­ments of the earth; 4) Supply informa­tion concerning tidal conditions forengineering projects; 5) Provide perti­nent data for special estuarine studies;and 6) Determine marine boundaries,both state and federal, for coastal zoneplanning and in some cases, litigation,as well as various other maritimeinterests.

The Bay Bridge Tunnel station, con­structed on the fishing pier, replacesthe Virginia Beach station which wasdestroyed by storms or strong windsfive times in 10 years. It joins a longand historical list of tide observationsites for the Chesapeake Bay area,dating back to the earliest at Anna­polis, Md., 6 June 1844, and Old PointComfort, Va., 1 July 1844.

Central Puget SoundCirculation Studied

A search for clues to the uncommonability of Puget Sound and other deep,cold-water estuaries to digest pollu­tants-and the limits of that capacity­is being conducted by National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) scientists in Seattle, Wash.

Using a moored string of sevencurrent-meters suspended beneath asubsurface buoy, NOAA scientists aredeveloping the first detailed three­dimensional view of water circulationin the Sound. From the informationcollected, researchers expect to learnwhy the Sound, although bounded bylarge population centers, remains rela­tively pristine. They also expect to beable to develop and refine models usedin predicitng circulation in PugetSound, which, with modifications couldbe applied to other deep, cold-waterestuaries.

The year-long current-measuring ef­fort is being conducted by the Com­merce Department agency's PacificMarine Environmental Laboratory (oneof NOAA's Environmental ResearchLaboratories) as part of a new MarineEcosystems Analysis (MESA) PugetSound project. The MESA programseeks to determine the impact ofhuman activities on marine life andenvironment.

90

The present current-meter mooringwas deployed in the central basin ofPuget Sound in 650 feet (200 meters) ofwater north of West Point in September1975. It will obtain data at two-to­three-month intervals until this Sep­tember. During one month this sum­mer, five moorings will be deployed inthe central Sound to study spatialvariations in circulation, and presentplans call for additional studies at otherSound locations through next year.Vessel support for this work comesmainly from NOAA's 175-foot (53-met­er) ship McArthur, based at the PacificMarine Center in Seattle.

We're mainly concerned with deter­mining behavior of the Sound and theimpact of wastes," explained GlennCannon, the NOAA oceanographerdirecting these field studies. "Thecurrent-meter mooring is near thelargest of four sewer outfalls enteringthe Sound from the greater Seattlearea. This is an area where we've mademeasurements previously, so that wehave some continuity."

The Sound is deep, and its circula­tion is complicated by rapid tidalcurrents, relatively high tides, andchanging winds, Cannon said. "Basedon our earlier studies of circulationnear West Point, it looks as though thedeep water in the Sound can mix itselfin about a month, at least in winter.This rapid mixing means the Sound can

Foreign Fishery Developments

The Irish fishing industry has growndramatically in the last 10 years, ac­cording to the NMFS Office of Interna­tional Fisheries. From 1963 to 1974,the industry's contribution to Ireland'sGross National Product has increasedfrom US$2 million to US$57.5 million 1.

This total is expected to reach US$205million by 1984.

Growth began in 1964, after a studyby U.S. fishery experts concluded thatIreland offered profitable commercialfishing opportunities, because of itsproximity to major fishing grounds andboth United Kingdom and European

'A conversion rate of US$l.OO = 0.49 Irishpounds was used in this report. GNP data arefrom The Irish Skipper.

handle a large amount of waste, butthere's bound to be a limit. We want todetermine these mixing mechanisms.and their limitations."

Seasonal changes play a dominantrole in the way Puget Sound watermoves through the deep estuary andits complex of inter-island channels, hesaid. As the study progresses, theNOAA investigators will obtain thelongest and the first full-year set ofcirculation measurements at a locationin the Sound.

Cannon noted that Puget Sound isunique in the United States south ofAlaska. "It's like a fjord in being deep,"he said, "but a classic fjord is fed bysome fresh water source near its head.The Sound gets a significant part of itsfresh water near the seaward end ofthe estuary north of Seattle."

Understanding how Puget Soundremoves pollutants by mixing will domuch to help environmental managerspreserve this unique, comparativelyunpolluted estuary. It will also providea useful tool for local governments asthey make the costly decisions on howto bring their waste-treatment systemsup to present federal standards. ThePuget Sound study also has specialimplications for Alaska. where oil ex­ploration and development will bringincreasing population-and increasingenvironmental pressures-on thenorthern state's deep bays and inlets.

markets. Since then the Irish govern­ment has encouraged expansion ofshore-based facilities and processingplants by fostering investment andproviding grants and loans. Develop­ment has been insured through theestablishment of national catch quotasto conserve certain species. In thecourse of the last decade, Irish fisherieshave developed into an integrated.export-oriented industry. Despite cur­rent marketing difficulties and risingcosts of fishing operations. the Irishfishing industry is likely to continueexpanding.

The total catch has nearly tripled inthe past 10 years (see Fig. 1). Pelagicspecies, particularly herring, account

Marine Fisheries Review

Currently, Ireland claims a 12-milefishing zone, but Irish fishers are de­manding its extension to 50 miles.Fishers are also demanding that Ire­land renegotiate the EEC FisheriesAgreement, which allows EEC coun­tries to fish up to 6 miles off the Irishcoast, in light of the rapidly dimin­ishing stocks and the extended juris­diction developments.

FISHERIES LIMITS ANDNEGOTIATIONS

divided into four major sections: fisher­ies resources, domestic and exportmarkets, investment, and shipbuild­ing. The bulk of aid for capital develop­ment is in the form of grants for thepurchase of new fishing boats. Purchas­ers receive outright grants on 25percent of the cost for fishing vesselsmeasuring 20 to 86 feet long, in addi­tion to a loan covering the remainingcosts at 4 percent interest over 10years. The capital development fundallocated for the fishing industry in1975-76 was US$9.8 million or 40percent greater than in 1974-75. De­velopment plans for the industryinclude: 1) strengthening the existingcoastal fleet and expanding into mid­water fishing; 2) expanding and inte­grating shore-based facilities to insuremaximum employment and more effec­tive marketing; and 3) developingmariculture for fish and shellfish.

Industry growth is supported by theBoard Iascaigh Mhara (ElM) or theIrish Sea Fisheries Board, a govern­ment development corporation. ElM is

Table 1.-lreland's fishery exports,1971-74.

vigorous sales promotion. Per capitaconsumption of fish and fishery prod­ucts in 1974 was 11.8 kilograms (26pounds) and is expected to increase 10percent by 1980.

FLEET

The Irish fisheries are coastal andthe fleet consists almost entirely ofshort-range craft. The fleet consistsmainly of the Scottish-type trawlers,with capacities of 51-75 gross regis­tered tons, although in recent yearsthere has been a trend toward theacquisition of larger ves·sels. Theremainder of the fleet consists of 1,200smaller craft of up to 7 meters inlength, powered mainly by outboardengines, Ireland had 6,138 fishers(3,890 part-time) in 1974, or about onepercent of the total labor force.

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES

1971 37,859 11,945,9561972 48,758 16,246,4521973 51,465 22,547,9501974 47,554 25,950,950

Source: DECO Review of Fisheries,1974.

Quantity ValueYear (metric tons) (USS)

EXPORTS AND IMPORTS

25' , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

~ ~ w ~ ~ ~ ~ ro n ~

YEAR

~!2 75 --------,

~~6S-------

oV> 55 -------1---oz::\:> 45------

~

as ---------,

Figure l.-Ireland's total fish catch, 1956-74.

for 60 percent of the catch by weight.The demersal catch, though less im­portant, includes whiting, haddock,cod, plaice, skate, and other ground­fish. Freshwater and Atlantic salmonfisheries are also important: exports ofAtlantic salmon alone earn US$6million per year, or almost 25 percentof the total gross value of the entireIrish fisheries catch. However, only 15percent of all fish taken off Ireland islanded by Irish vessels, which are notlarge enough to fish far from the coast.The rest is taken by fleets from otherEuropean countries.

9S -----------

More than half of the total catch isexported. The major export commodi­ties are herring, salmon, and shellfish.The United Kingdom is the largest im­porter of Irish fishery products. In1973, exports to that country totalledUS$7.8 million. Other significant mar­kets for Irish fishery products areFrance, the Netherlands, and theFederal Republic of Germany. Exportsto each of these countries averagedUS$3.1 millio'n. Imports by the UnitedStates remain comparatively small,about US$422,OOO in 1973. In 1974 thevalue of exports of all types of fish andfishery products reached US$25 millioncompared to US$22.5 million in 1973(see Table 1).

The value of fishery imports, mainlyfish meal and canned fish, has declined.In 1974, imports were estimated atUS$9.8 million compared to US$10.2million in 1973. Domestic consumptionin recent years has risen in response to

Taiwan ExportsEels to Japan

A meeting in Taipei, Taiwan, ofJapanese eel importers and Taiwaneseeel producers resulted in agreementthat 14,000 metric tons of eels would beexported from Taiwan for sale in Japanduring 1976. Of the total amount,1,1,000 metric tons will be live eels and3,000 metric tons will be processedeels. The export price for live eels wasset at $6,000-$7,000 per ton.

Taiwanese eel culturists have agreedto import Japanese eel (Anguillajaponica) elvers to raise to maturity.Final details of the trade agreementwere worked out at another meeting inMay. (Source: China Post.)

According to the NMFS Office of In­ternational Fisheries, Japan imported7,689 metric tons of live eels fromTaiwan in 1974 and 10,843 metric tons

in 1975. Average prices per ton inthose years were $5,980 and $5,950,respectively. Japanese eel culturistshave been hit hard by increased pricesfor fuel used to maintain water tem­peratures during the winter months,but Taiwanese eel culturists, benefitingfrom their milder winters, appear ableto expand production to meet theJapanese market demand.

Japan imported only 13 metric tonsof live eels from the United States in1974 and only 8 metric tons in 1975.Furthermore, average prices per tonfor live American eel exports to Japanwere $4,430 in 1974 and $2,890 in 1975.U.S. eel exports to Japan have beenheld back by transportation costs, by ageneral world economic slump during1975, and by the Japanese marketpreference for Anguilla japonica, thedomestic eel. (Source: Japan Exports& Imports and others.)

August 1976 91

DENMARK LISTS 1973-1975 FISHERY DATA

Mo. 1973 1974 1975 1973 1974 1975

Table 2.-Average monthly prices lor landings 01shrimp (Panda/us borealis) and salmon (BalticSa/mo sa/ar) lor 1973. 1974. and 1975 In DanishKrone per kilogram (at US$1.00 = DKr6.156).Where landings are nil or Inadequate. no averageprice Is given. (Source: Danish Fisheries Mlnlslry,"Overslgt over Flskerlel.")

Stable cod landings since 1973 and adecline in fish landed for reductionfrom 1974 to 1975 are reflected In

fishery statistics released recently bythe Danish Fisheries Ministry. Thedata include landings and prices of codand reduction fish and monthly pricesof salmon and shrimp.

While cod landings remained rela­tively constant from 1973 through1975, cod prices declined from 3.02Danish krone (US$0.49) per kilogramin December 1973 to 2.66 krone(US$0.43) in December 1975 (Table 1).Landings of fish for reduction to fish

meal and fish oil decreased from 1.57million metric tons in 1974 to 1.47million metric tons in 1975. The priceper kilogram dropped from 8.6 cents in1973 to 5.9 cents in 1975 (Table 1).

Shrimp prices were well below thoseprevailing in 1973 and 1974, and fell to4 cents per kilogram in December 1975,compared to 15 cents in December 1973(Table 2).

Monthly shrimp landings in 1975 forboth Denmark and Greenland (Table 3)totalled 11,500 metric tons-2, 139 met­ric tons for Denmark and 9,361 metrictons for Greenland.

Shrimp

Jan.Feb. .823 .987Mar. .699 .911Apr. .630 .746May .644 .777June .700 .780July .717 .822Aug. .728 .664sept. .821 .748Oct. .792 .757Nov. .755 .752Dec. .950 .851

Salmon

3.218 2.430 2.121.632 3.177 2.495 1.995.559 3.166 2.601 2.018.568 3.376 2.425 2.171.526 3.244 2.347 2.055.465 2.909 2.323 2.030.507.489.512 2.057 1.726 2.229.507 2.138 1.671 2.738.535 2.422 1.982 2.992.255 2.641 2.033 3.720

Table 1. -landings (In metric tons) and prices (In Danish krone per kilogram al USS1.00 = DKr6.156) 01 cod and IIsh Table 3.-Monthly shrimp landingslor reduction In Danish pofls by Danish and lorelgn vessels IOf 1973, 1974, and 1975. Source: Danish Fisheries lor Denmark and Greenland InMinistry, "Overslgt over Flskerlel." 1975.

Cod Fish for reduction landings

landings (whole wt.) Price(DKr/kg) landings Price (DKr/kg) Den- Green-Mo. mark land Total

Month 1973 1974 1975 1973 1974 1975 1973 1974 1975 1973 1974 1975

Jan. 1 270 271Jan. 15,884 17,805 12,949 1.95 2.94 2.61 62,698 63,279 69,168 0.41 0.63 0.42 Feb. 120 418 538Feb. 15,576 19,479 23,097 2.01 2.83 1.92 70,966 91,881 136,255 0.41 0.64 0.35 Mar. 192 173 365March 22,030 17,444 14,709 1.84 2.81 2.13 106,251 92,926 89,513 0.41 0.63 0.29 April 480 735 1.215April 10.525 13,920 14,552 2.01 2.65 2.03 56,606 109,577 49,236 0.40 0.58 0.22 May 336 852 1,188May 16,876 11,582 16,646 1.99 2.76 2.07 186,429 203,556 195,479 0.40 0.53 0.24 June 288 1,375 1,663June 10,253' 7,727 10,938 2.22 2.79 2.02 142,951 206,349 177,749 0.42 0.49 0.25 July 288 1,283 1,571July 9,709 6,957 8.691 2.20 2.66 2.09 135,075 98,089 191,420 0.40 0.45 0.25 Aug. 209 934 1,143Aug. 9,569 11,215 8,141 2.69 2.12 2.24 150,014 232,172 193,686 0.48 0.43 0.28 sept. 162 1,059 1,221sept. 6,855 5,591 6,941 3.09 2.97 2.67 113,484 117,798 118,718 0.52 0.45 0.31 Oct. 24 1.178 1,202Oct. 8.067 9,472 9,753 3.06 2.85 2.78 79,847 168,296 126,790 0.52 0.45 0.33 Nov. 39 705 744Nov. 7,053 8,994 5,403 3.14 2.69 2.76 69,807 123,431 69,872 0.43 0.52 0.32 Dec. 379 379Dec. 6,790 5,990 6,076 3.02 2.86 2.66 25,005 63,603 53,467 0.54 0.43 0.35

------1,199,133 1,570,957 1,471,353

Total 2,139 9,361 11,500Total 139,187 136,176 137,896

'landings listed in metric tons.'Source not given.

ROK Longliner Seizedoff Alaska and Fined

A U.S. Coast Guard aerial patrolsighted a Republic of Korea (ROK)longliner, the Dong Won No. 709,fishing 11.25 miles offshore in thevicinity of White Sisters Island offthe southeastern coast of Alaskaon 18 February 1976, reports theNMFS Office of International Fisher­ies. The Korean vessel was advisedthat it was in violation of the U.S. Con­tiguous Fishing Zone (CFZ) and sig­nalled to stop. While aerial surveillancewas maintained, the Coast GuardCutter Sedge was dispatched to inter­cept and board the vessel. The DongWon No. 709 was boarded and seizedon 19 February.

The ROK vessel was taken to Sitka,Alaska, where the U.S. Marshall took

92

custody of the vessel. The Coast Guardboarding officer and a National MarineFisheries Service agent traveled toJuneau for debriefing and case prepa­rations. On 24 February, the master ofthe Dong Won No. 709, Young II Choi,was arraigned in the U.S. DistrictCourt in Anchorage. Asserting that hehad been 12.5 miles offshore when theCoast Guard aircraft flew over hisships, and that his gear was 13.0 milesoffshore, he pleaded not guilty to thecharges. On 10 March, he changed hisplea to no contest. The Dong Won No.709 was then found to be in violation ofthe CFZ.

Under the provisions of the BartlettAct (16 USC 1081), the master of thevessel was fined $8,000 and the ownerof the vessel was assessed $522,000 incivil penalties. Although payment ofthe $530,000 total was expected on 17

March, the vessel remained in custodyuntil 25 March, at which time thepenalties were paid and the vessel wasallowed to depart the Sitka Harbor.

According to the NMFS Office of In­ternational Fisheries, the Dong WonNo. 709 is a 55 meter, 629.25 gross-tonlongliner. Its homeport is Pusan, ROK,and it is owned by the Dong Won IceCompany. The vessel carries a crew of35. Its value was estimated at about $1million. The value of its catch was esti­mated at $220,000. At the time ofboarding, the vessel's catch consistedof approximately 250 metric tons offrozen blackcod, and 3 metric tons offrozen rockfish. The Dong Won No. 709is the third Korean vessel seized forviolating U.S. fishing laws since 1973.The stern trawler Kum Kang San wasassessed $415,000 in penalties for aCFZ violation in August 1975.

Marine Fisheries Review

Figure l.-Panama·s shrimp catch, 1960·75.

61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75

YEAR

Mexico has purchased 20 Cubanfishing vessels in what President Eche­verria described as an example ofLatin American economic and techno­logical collaboration. During a christen­ing ceremony for the first 13 vessels,held in Cozumel on the east coast of theYucatan Peninsula. EcheverrIa empha­sized the close relations existing be­tween Mexico and Cuba. Agreementfor the construction of the vessels waspresumably reached as a result ofPresident EcheverrIa's trip to cuba inAugust 1975. Cuba's First DeputyDirector for Fisheries, Alvaro Lava­stida, had previously presented aferro-cement vessel to the Mexicans atthe end of his trip to that country inJanuary 1975. The Mexican govern­ment plans to use the vessels fortraining at Mexico's 30 secondary leveltechnical schools. (Source: U.S. Em­bassy, Mexico City.)

According to the NMFS Office ofInternational Fisheries, the vessels,built by "CubaPesca" in Cardenas andManzanillo shipyards, are constructedfrom ferro-cement, a relatively newtechnique using plasticized wire meshfilled with a sand silicate mortar.Ferro-cement vessels have the advan­tage of low construction costs and arerelatively inexpensive to repair andmaintain. Each of the new vessels is16.2 meters long and displaces 40 tons.They are designed for coastal opera­tions on the continental shelf in tropicaland severe weather conditions. Someof the vessels have a refrigerationcapacity of 20 cubic meters, othershave an 8-cubic meter refrigerationcapacity and a 7-cubic meter holdingtank '. Each vessel is powered by a 150­hp diesel engine and is capable ofspeeds up to 8 knots. They have a crewof 8 and are capable of trips lasting 5112days. The vessels are well suited forshrimp and snapper fisheries.

Cuba has approximately 300 ferro­cement vessels in operation at thepresent time.

Mexico Purchases 20Cuban Fishing Vessels

'These vessels were prominently displayed atthe Cuban pavillion at the Inrybprom·Exhibi·tion in Leningrad during August 1975. Thevessels displayed at Leningrad were designedto keep the catch alive by circulating seawaterin the perforated hold.

Species LandingsPercent

Spanish English 1974 1975 change

Blanco White 3,841 3,720 -3.2Rojo Pink 3,021 3,333 + 10.3Titi Sea bob 3,668 2,158 -41.2Caraball 364 276 -24.2Solenocera 104 75 -27.9Fidel 147 951 + 546.9Cabezon 507 397 -21.2

Total'------11,652 10,909 -6.4

'Totals may not agree due to rounding.Source: Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias.Departamento de Recursos Marinos.

Preliminary figures for 1975 fromthe Panamanian Ministry of Commerceand Industry indicated that shrimplandings for 1975 totalled 10.9 millionpounds, down 6.4 percent from the1974 catch and 16 percent below the1965-74 average catch. This continuesthe decline from the record 15.2 millionpounds landed in 1970 (Fig. 1). Accord­ing to preliminary data the mostsignificant decline took place in the seabob (titi) catch which declined over 40percent (Table I). On 8 January 1976, aseasonal closure was declared onshrimp fishing during February andMarch for the white, sea bob, and cara­bali varieties.

The Minister of Industry and Com­merce has drafted a new law designedto limit the number of fishing licensesissued for shrimping. In the past therehas been a great deal of speculation onfishing licenses and the fishers havebeen able to sell their licenses to otherindividuals for up to $15,000. However,they are presently worth a great dealless because of the problems in theshrimp industry. Under the new law,shrimp licenses will automatically berevoked when the licensed vessel sinksor ceases operation, unless the vessel isreplaced within 6 months. In addition,if the new law is enacted, fishers willnot be allowed to sell their licenses.

Table 1.-Panama's shrimp landings by species1974 and 1975, In thousands 01 pounds.

monte with the Inter-American High­way is now 50 percent completed, andthe road should be finished by July1976, thus facilitating access to theconstruction site. The governmentexpects to have the facility ready foroperation by the fall of 1978. Areashave been designated in the masterplan for future expansion of the Port.

SHRIMP FISHERY

! I , , , , , , , I9 I I

is 17 -----------­Z::>215~0----- -----

~:~-~-8;:

Panama Plans New PortSees Shrimp Catch Fall

The master plan for the fishing portat Punta Vacamonte, the key project inthe Government of Panama's plan tomodernize the country's fishing indus­try, was recently delivered to govern­ment officials in ceremonies at theproject site, according to the NMFSOffice of International Fisheries.

The plan was drawn up by a multi­national consulting consortium com­posed of PISTSA (Panamanian),Greiner (American), and Livesey andHenderson (English). The complex isbeing financed by a $25 million loanfrom the World Bank. The NationalPort Authority has received the quali­fications of 37 firms indicating an in­terest in bidding on the construction ofthe port, and has approved 21 firms forthe submission of bids. American firmsapproved include Morrison-KnudsenCo., Inc., Raymond Corp., and West­ern Contracting Corp.

The old fisheries port was located inthe center of Panama City. Expansionwould have been difficult because ofthe high cost of urban real estate. Inaddition, tides limited the times whenfishing vessels could enter and leavethe port, and pollution, due to theport's urban location, made processingdifficult.

The new fishing port will be protect­ed by a breakwater and dredged to adepth sufficient to allow 24-hour-a-dayoperations. The facility will include anadministration building, fresh fish mar­ket, areas for the construction and re­pair of boats, three service piers, twopiers for the unloading of shrimp andfish, and two piers for tuna. Buildingsfor use by shrimp packing companiesand a 3,OOO-ton capacity cold storagefacility will also be built. Constructionon the access road linking Punta Vaca-

August 1976 99

1975totals

Total as % ofcatch catch

Area allowed quotas

Eastern Bering SeaPollock 210,000 99.9Herring 30,000 61.7Other species 120,000 99.0

Gulf of AlaskaPollock 40,000 94.6Rockfishes 10,000 102.2Other species 30,000 103.1

Off the Aleutian IslandsRockfishes 12,000 98.9Other species 16,000 104.6

Off Wash .. Oreg., Calif.(south of lat. 47"45'N)

Rockfishes (incidentalcatch only) 2,500 91.7

Other species (incidentalcatch only) 3,000 91.1

Pacific hake 150,000 100.6

Table 3.-Total catches (In metric tons) allowedSovlel fishers during 1975-76 from the IIshlnggrounds adjacent 10 U.S. Pacific coasl, by area andspecies.

the Gulf of Alaska as the most signi­ficant, amounting to almost 362,000metric tons, or 52 percent of the total.The Pacific hake fishery off northernCalifornia, Washington, and Oregonwas also large, amounting to about159,000 metric tons, or 22 percent ofthe total Soviet catch off the U.S.Pacific coast.

The 1975 preliminary catch statistics(Table 2) show that the Soviet catches,for the most part, remained within thequotas set by the U.S.-USSR Agree­ment on North Pacific Fisheries for1975 and 1976. (The quotas, and 1975catch totals as a percentage of thequotas, are shown in Table 3.) Over­runs were recorded only for the rock­fish fishery in the Gulf of Alaska andfor composite fisheries for other speciesin the Gulf of Alaska and off theAleutian Islands.

Grandtotal

TotalCanada

PercentofU.S.total

Total(U.S.)

Wash.,Oreg.,Calif.

ies. The latest data, in comparison withformer years, were submitted in thedetailed format stipulated by the U.S.­USSR Agreement on North PacificFisheries.

The 1974 final catch statistics (Table1) show the Soviet Alaska pollockfishery in the eastern Bering Sea and

EasternBering Islands Alaska Eastern

Sea Aleutian Western Alaska

Table l.-Russla's 1974 fisheries catch (llnal statistics by fishing grounds) off Ihe Pacific coasls oflheUniled Siaies and Canada in melrlc Ions.

Eastern Wash., PercentBering Aleutian Western Eastern Oreg., Total ofU.S. Total Grand

Species Sea Islands Alaska Alaska Calif. (U.S.) Total Canada total

Pac. halibut 123 4 48 12 187 negI. 187Arrowtooth

halibul 18,650 1,412 5 20,067 3.0 20,067Pac. black halibut 10,820 39 92 10,951 2.0 10,951Flounders 9,200 830 10,030 1.0 10,030Cod 16,547 45 2,136 18,728 2.0 18,728Alaska pollock 309,613 21,346 29,820 1,180 361,959 52.0 361,959Rockfish 31.8n 824 15.106 2,088 2,536 52,431 8.0 176 52,607Black cod 77 14 27 11 148 277 negl. 16 293Herring 19,800 19,800 3.0 19,800Atka mackerel 1,377 17,531 18,908 3.0 16,908Pac. hake 156,708 156,708 22.0 1,799 158,507Shrimp 1,706 1,706 neg I. 1,706Others 12,770 1,726 7,469 180 4,835 26,980 4.0 660 27,640

Total 429,477 25,375 76,177 3,471 164,232 698,732 100.0 2,651 701,383

Source: All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIROj, Moscow,1976.

Table 2,-Russla's 197511sherles catch (preliminary slatlstlcs by IIshlng grounds) off Ihe Pacific coasls ofthe United Slates and Canada In metrIc Ions.

Species

Alaska pollock 209,957 9,874 36,353 1,488 257,672 42.0 257,672Pac. halibut 137 3 50 190 negI. 190Other flounders 49,800 37 2,392 24 136 52,389 9.0 52,389All rockfishes 26,915 11,877 10,014 201 2,292 51,299 8.0 239 51,538Cod 24,043 184 1,392 92 25,711 4.0 25,711Atka mackerel 462 6,377 17,249 2,750 26,836 4.0 26,836Pac. hake 150,829 150,829 25.0 3,493 154,322Herring 18.504 18,504 3.0 18,504ShrimpOthers 17,500 257 6,775 201 2,598 27,331 5.0 82 27,413

Total 347,318 28,609 74,225 4,756 155,855 610,763 "iOQ.O 3,814 614,577

Source: Ali-Union Scientific Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIROj, Moscow, Source: U.S.-USSR Agreement on North Pacific1976. Fisheries, July 1975.

The Soviet Ministry of Fisheries hastransmitted to the National MarineFisheries Service the final 1974 statis­tics and preliminary 1975 statistics forthe catch made by Soviet vesselsfishing off the Pacific coasts of Canadaand the United States, according toNMFS's Office of International Fisher-

USSR Reports 1974-75 U.S. West Coast Fish Catch

Venezuela Tells ForeignFishing Vessel Rules

Fishing by foreign nationals aboardvessels of foreign registry withinVenezuela's 12-mile Territorial Sea I ispermitted in certain exceptional casesand under certain conditions. If theOficina Nacional de Pesca (NationalFisheries Office) of the Ministerio de

I The Territorial Sea Law of 27 July 1956,authorized terriwrial limits and an exclusivefishing zone of 12 nautical miles.

Agricultura y Cria (Ministry of Agri­culture and Livestock) deems it in thescientific or commercial interest of thenation, it may authorize foreign vesselsto operate in Venezuelan -claimedwaters.

Any request for such authorizationmust be solicited by the Venezuelanassociates of the foreign vessel's own­ers. A monthly fee of at least 2,000bolivares (US$467),' based on the

'Based on an exchange rate of US$l.OO =Bs4.28.

vessel's size, must be paid to theNational Fisheries Office. The entirecatch must be landed and sold in Vene­zuela. In addition, depending on thevessel's size, 25 to 30 percent of thecrew must be Venezuelan nationals.

The only restriction related to thefishing method used prohibits trawlingfor shrimp. Regulations concerning thelicensing of foreign vessels are notcodified and each application is weighedon its particular merit by the Vene­zuelan authorities, (Source: U.S. Em­bassy, Caracas.)

94 Marine Fisheries Review

Basic specifications 01 Zverobol-class vessels.

Japan, Australia DiscussNew Fisheries Agreement

Soviet Far East on Sakhalin Island.The Zveroboi is the flagship of this newfleet. The remaining 10 vessels joinedthe Archangel's Trawler Fleet. TheSerebrianka and Laplandiia were thefirst two vessels constructed for thisfleet in 1973.

The Zagorianii, a standard vessel ofthe Zveroboi-class, was launched inlate 1975 in Poland and sent to Nevel'skon Sakhalin Island where it will bebased. Three U.S. scientists, FrancisFay of the University of Alaska, JamesEstes of the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService, and Howard Ferrin, a grad­uate student at the University ofAlaska, participated in a U.S.-USSRcooperative walrus-ice seal researchcruise aboard the Zagorianii from 12March to 1 May 1976 in the EasternBering Sea.

The Fisheries Agency of Japan plansto begin talks with the Government ofAustralia about a new fisheries agree­ment or a further extension of the 1968bilateral agreement. The 1968 agree­ment was to expire 27 November 1975,but was extended by mutual agreementto 27 November 1976.

A preliminary meeting in Canberrawill discuss long-term arrangementsconcerning port privileges for Japanesefishing vessels, mutual cooperation infishing technology, and joint venturesin marine product processing.

Japanese fishing vessels are present­ly allowed to call at the ports ofBrisbane, Fremantle, Hobart, andSydney. The 1968 bilateral agreementmade it possible for Japan to resupplyin these four ports a fleet of tuna long­liners whose trips last as long as 6-12months. Japanese tuna longliners fishoff Australia, in the eastern IndianOcean, and also off East Africa.

1970 1971 1972 1973

9,200 9,900 11,000 14,600164,800 176,800 167,600 186,60056,100 SO,800 52,900 16,60023,100 31,400 28,400 50,000

100 300 500 60048,400 53.800 28,300 25,000

301,700 323,000 288,700 293,400

Nation

AustraliaJapanKoreaPhilippinesNew ZealandOther

Total

Nation 1970 1971 1972 1973

Australia 3% 3% 4% 5%Japan 55% 55% 58% 64%Korea 19% 16% 18% 6%New Zealand 0% 0% 0% 0%Philippines 8% 10% 10% 17%Other 15% 16% 10% 8%

Table 2.-Nomlnal catches 01 highly migratoryspecies by nation as percentage 01 total catch InFAD statistical areas 57. 71, and 81, (easternIndian OCean and southeastern Pacific Ocean) loryears 1970-73.

(Sources: FAO 1973 Yearbook 01 Fishery Statislics,and others.)

95

Total catch 301,700 323,000 288,700 293,400in metric tons

Table 1.-Nomlnal catches 01 highly migratoryspecies by certain nations 01 the western Pacific InFAD statistical areas 57, 71, and 81, (easternIndian OCean and southwestern Pacific OCean), Inmetric tons.

Japan's tuna catch in waters nearAustralia is estimated at 25,000 tonsannually.

Opposition to Japanese fishing offAustralia has increased among Austra­lian citizens. The Government appearscautious about granting unconditionalor long-term permission for Japanesefishing vessels to enter Australianports due to the effect such permissionmight have on Korea or other nationswith longline fleets.

The Japanese delegation will includerepresentatives of the Federation ofJapan Tuna Fisheries Cooperatives(Nikkatsuren) and representatives ofJapanese processors. Japan may dis­cuss builting a plant designed for tunasashimi export trade in Australia, aswell as other cooperative ventures.(Source: Nihon Keizai Shimbun.)

According to the NMFS Office of In­ternational Fisheries, Australia's tunacatches, albeit still small when com­pared with those of other Asian tuna­fishing countries, are increasing rapidly(Tables 1 and 2). At the same time,international conflicts with Indonesiaoff Australia's northwest coast andTaiwan in the Gulf of Carpentaria havecaused concern in Australian fishingcircles about foreign fishing in watersnear Australia.

1,971 GRT.800 OWl

72.8 m65.0 m13.0 m4.85 m

2,300 h.p.105 days

13 knots4 knots

Gross register tonsDeadweightLength (overall)Length (between perpendiculars)BreadthDraft (fully loaded)HorsepowerEnduranceSpeed (maximum)Speed (trawling)

The Soviet foreign trading companySudoimport concluded a contract at the1971 Poznan International Fair withthe ship-building industry of the PolishPeople's Republic for the delivery of 23dual-purpose marine mammal trappingand fishing vessels. They were to bedelivered to the Soviet Ministry ofFisheries between 1972 and 1975,reports the NMFS Office of Interna­tional Fisheries.

The economic advantage of theseunique dual-purpose vessels is that,upon completion of the short, 3-4month seal trapping season, they canbe shifted into commercial fishingoperations for the rest of the year. Thevessels initially will be used to huntmarine mammals, primarily seals, fromsmall boats or on foot (on ice and icefloes). Skins will be processed aboardthe vessels and commercial oil, frozenmeat, and force-meat will also be pro­duced. When the sealing season endsthe vessels will fish using bottom anddeep-sea stern trawling gear.

The Zveroboi, ordered in 1971, is theprototype of this class of 23 dual-pur­pose vessels built at the Lenin Ship­yard in Gdansk, Poland. The Zveroboi­class vessels (see table) are designedfor operations in the White Sea, in theNorth Pacific, northeast and northwestAtlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Alaska, andBering Sea. Their hulls have been re­inforced against ice and adapted towinter seas. The vessels are fitted withfish and fish meal processing equip­ment, modern navigational and fish­finding instruments, and an automated,remote-controlled, diesel-electric en­gine.

Up to 24 tons of fish or 600 seals aday can be processed aboard theZveroboi-class vessels. Working at fullmaximum capacity, each of this class ofvessels can produce 240 seal skins, 15tons of frozen meat, and 1.2 tons of sealliver oil each day. In addition to the 24tons of frozen fish, the vessels can alsoproduce 12 tons of fish meal and smallquantities of fish liver oil daily.

The entire order of 23 Zveroboi-classvessels was delivered by the end of1975. Of these 23 vessels, 13 went intoa new flotilla being formed in the

August 1976

USSR Purchases PolishSealing/Fishing Vessels

Table 1.-EC withdrawal prices (USS per metric ton), by commercial characteristics and by region lor 1976.

EC Sets Withdrawal and Reference Prices

The freshness categories, sizes, and presentation are those defined pursuant to Article 2 01 Regulation(EEC) No. 2142170.Source: Official Journal of the European Communities, No. L333/36.

According to the NMFS Office of In­ternational fisheries, Iceland's ForeignMinister Agustsson stressed that Ice­land has the sole authority over thecatch, and can limit it by restricting thenumber of vessels fishing. The agree­ment is important to the Icelanders asa demonstration of their ability to

negotiate fishery agreements withforeign countries fishing off its coasts,in contrast to the alleged intransigenceof the British. Iceland also recentlyannounced a fisheries agreement withBelgium which allows 6,500 metric tonsof fish (1,500 metric tons of cod) to betaken from Icelandic-claimed waters.

commercial characteristics (size, qual­ity, presentation, etc.) and distantlanding areas. The coefficients arepublished in Regulation (EEe) No.3371/75. The following withdrawalprices and reference prices have beenconverted to U.S. dollars per metricton based on one u.a. equalling 1.16686U.S. dollars. See tables 1-5.

According to the NMFS Office of In-

Commercial characteristics'

Freshness WithdrawalLanding areas category Size Presentation price

1. All coastal areas of and All 1 Whole $153islands of Great Britain All 2 Whole 144north of a line Irom Fleet- All 3 Whole 90wood to Hartlepool; exceptthe Isle of Man.2. Coastal areas and Islands All 1 Whole 179north of a line from Loop- All 2 Whole 167head to Wlcklow Head in All 3 Whole 104Ireland.3. Coastal areas of and is- Extra 1,2,3 Wholelands off Ireland, Northern A 1,2,3 Whole In ori· 131Ireland, Devon and Corn- glnal boxeswall counties in Great A 1,2 WholeBritain. B 1 Whole

B 2 Whole 116A 3 WholeB 3 WholeA 4 Whole In ori· 107

ginal boxesAll 4 Whole 62

4. Western, northern, north· Extra 1,2,3 Wholeeastern coastal areas of A 1,2,3 Whole In orl· 84SCotland to Aberdeen; is- glnal boxeslands to the west and north A 1,2 Wholeof these areas. B 1 Whole

B 2 WholeA 3 Whole 74B 3 WholeA 4 Whole In orl· 69

glnal boxesAll 4 Whole 40

5. Coastal areas of Ireland All 1,2 Gutted w/head 243and Northern Ireland, the Extra, A 3 Gutted w/headcoastal area of Great Britain Extra. A 1,2 Wholefrom Whitehaven in Eng- B 3 Gutted w/head 219land to Wick In north· Extra, A 3 Wholeeastern Scotland and the Extra, A 4 Gutted w/head 186islands to the west and B 1,2,3 Wholenorth of these areas; except Extra, A 4 Wholethe Isle 01 Man. S 4 Gutted w/ head 135

B 4 Whole 1026. Coastal areas of and is- Extra, A 2 Whole 163lands off the counties 01 Extra 3 Whole 125Cornwall and Devon In Extra 1,4 Whole 106England. A 3 Whole

A 1,4 Whole 68B All Whole

7. All coastal areas 01 All 1,2 Gutted w/head 459SCotland. All 3 Gutted w/head 410

All 4 Gutted w/head 323

The Commission of the EuropeanCommunities (EC) has fixed the 1976withdrawal prices on fishery productsby Regulation (EEC) No. 3372/75 andreference prices by Regulation (EEC)No. 3373/75. These prices are pub­lished in European Units of Account(u.a.) per metric ton, and are based onvarious percentages of the guide pricesaccording to coefficients for various

Whiting

Mackerel

sardines(Atlantic)

Hake

Herring

Species

Iceland and NorwayOkay Fishery Pact

The Icelandic Foreign Ministry an­nounced the conclusion of a fisheriesagreement with Norway on 10 March1976. The agreement does not regulatethe catch by a predetermined quota,but rather stipulates the total numberof Norwegian vessels allowed in the12-200 mile fisheries zone. While 45vessels are authorized, no more than 30may fish at one time. The agreement isvalid from 15 February to 1 December1976, and Iceland can reexamine thelicenses at its discretion. The agree·ment may be terminated by eitherparty after 6-months' notice. (Source:U.S. Embassy, Reykjavik.)

Peru and Poland SignFisheries Agreement

Peru and Poland signed a pact on 2February 1976 to renew the 1971 Peru­Poland scientific and technical agree­ment that provided for increasedcooperation in the fisheries sector. Thenew agreement, the second renewal ofthe 1971 basic accord, was signed byPolish Deputy Minister of ForeignCommerce and Marine Economy EdwinWisniewski and Peruvian FisheriesDirector Juan Jose Cardenas Ronco.

Wisniewski indicated at a pressconference that Poland would, amongother things, construct four factorytrawlers for Peru instead of the threespecified in the October 1971 agree­ment. He also stated that the first ofthese vessels would be delivered inJanuary 1977. According to pressreports, the new vessels would be usedto catch bonito and "cojinova" (pom­pano) to supply Peru's domestic mar·keto Wisniewski and Cardenas Roncoalso signed a memorandum of under­standing in which, according to pressreleases, Poland agreed to studyPeruvian requests to:

1) Grant 10 scholarships to Peruviansfor the study of fishery sciences inPoland beginning in 1976;

2) Provide a research vessel to carryout exploratory fisheries studies inPeruvian waters for 4 months eachyear; and

3) Send Polish fishing vessels towaters off Paita to help providePEPESCA (Empresa Peruana dePesca) with fish for human consump­tion. (Source: U.S. Embassy, Lima.)

36 Marine Fisheries Review

1 The freshness categories, sizes, and presentations are lhose defined pursuant to Article 2 of Regulation(EEe) No. 2142170.Source: Official Journal 01 the European Communities, No. L333/34.

ternational Fisheries, withdrawal pri- products from the human consumptionces and reference prices are part of the market to the animal feed market. TheEC price support program. The with- reference price is the lowest price atdrawal prices are those prices at which which imports can enter the ECproducer organizations start moving market.Table 2.-EC withdrawal prices (USS per metric ton) by commercial characteristics, for selected species

lor 1976.

Redflsh(Sebastes marinus)

Cod

Commercial characteristics I

Ref­erenceprices

4491,162

292639333895487

1,186222453408729

Referenceprices

Products

WholeFilletsWholeFilletsWholeFilletsWholeFilletsWholeFilletsWholeFillets

Presentation

191 Whiting 299Mackerel 187

371 Anchovies 364231 Plaice 399452 Hake (Merluccius414 spp.) 833257 Shrimp (Crangon298 spp.) 791

Ref­erenceprices

Saithe

Products

Cod

Haddock

Redfish(Sebastes marinus)

Mackerel

Hake(Merluccius spp.)

Products

HerringSardines

AtlanticMediterranean

RedfishCodSaltheHaddock

Source: Official Journal 01 the European Commun­ities, No. 333/40.

Sea bream (Dentex dentex, Pagel/us) 686

Squid (Loligo spp., Ommastrephes sagit-tatus, Todarodes sagittatus, I/IexcoiMetti) 1,364

Cultleflsh (Sepia ollicinafis. Rossia ma-crosoma, Sepiola rondeletl) 863

~~w ~

Norway: Fewer FishersBut More Full-Timers

Table 3.-EC reference prices (USS per metric ton)for selected fresh or chilled fishery products listedIn Table 2 tor 1976.

Source: Ollicial Journal 01 the European Commun­ities, No. L333/39.

Source: Official Journal 01 the European Commun­ities, No. L333/39.

Norway's fishers are becoming stead­ily fewer but those left are more likelyto be full-timers, a Central Bureau ofStatistics survey shows. This confirmsthat structural changes evident sincethe war are still continuing, accordingto the Norwegian Information Service.

The survey found 31,800 fishers lastyear, a drop of 3,200 since the lastcount in 1971. On the other hand, thenumber working full-time in the traderose from 14,700 in 1971 to 16,600 or 52percent of the total by 1975.

Sard ines 313

Table 5.-EC reference prices (USS per metric ton)for selected Irozen products tor 1976.

Table 4.-EC reference prices (USS per metric ton)lor selected Irozen fishery products for 1976.

Ref­erence

Products prices

259

218

187

165

153

88364300

200

452

159119

300

274

257

193399344295

833744588791226

191180112371284240

153

231190163

123

414

149257

215

158114

298260

187

149

286

Withdrawal pricePresentation

WholeWholeWholeWholeWholeWholeWholeWholeWholeWholeWholeWholeWholeWholeWholeWhole

Gutted w/ headWhole

Gutted w/headWhole

Gutted w/headGutted w/head

WholeGutted w I head

WholeWhole

Gutted wIheadWhole

Gutted w/headWhole

Gutted w/headWholeWhole

Gutted w/headGutted w/headGutted w/head

WholeWholeWhole

Gutted wIheadGutted wI head

WholeGutted wIhead

WholeGutted wIhead

WholeWhole

Gutted w/ headWholeWhole

Whole in original boxesWholeWholeWholeWholeWhole

Whole in original boxesWholeWholeWholeWholeWholeWholeWhole

Gutted w/headGutted w/headGutted wI head

WholeGutted w/headGutted wI headGutted wIhead

BoiledBoiled

Size

12323

1,43

1,4All

23

1,43

1,4AllAll

1,2,31,2,3

41,2,3

544545

1,2,31,2,3

41,2,3

44

1,21,2,3

44

3,41,2,3

41,2

31,2

334

1,2,3444

1,2,31,2,3

1,21233442

1,3113

2,31,2,3

44

All1,2

3412

AllAllAll

Extra, AExtraExtra

AAB

Extra, AExiraExtra

AAB

All

AllExtra, AExtra, A

BExtra, A

BExtra, A

BB

AllAll

Extra, AExtra, A

BB

AllExtra, A

AllExtra, A

BExtra, A

BB

AllExtra, AExtra, A

BExtra, AExtra, A

BExtra, A

BB

ExtraAAaaAaA

AllExtra, A

ExtraABAa

AllExtra, A

BAllAllAllAll

A,BA,a

Freshness categorySpecies

Salthe

Mediterranean

SardinesAtlantic

Herring

Whiting

Haddock

Anchovies

Plaice

Mackerel

Hake

Shrimp(Crangon spp.)

August 1976 37